The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-22
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
Standard Oil Company Gases.
Interstate Commerce Commission
Hears Some Complaints.
Charges Against the L. & N, L., N.
o. & T. and M. e. T. Roads.
A General Denial is Made by all
the Companies.
The British Fisheries Commission Holds
an Informal Conference The Pro-
ceedings of These Meetings
Arc To Be Kept Secretly.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2l.-The interstate
commerce commission today began the
hearing OF the complaints in the Standard
Oil cases. These are the complaints OF
George Rice, of Marietta, o., against a
number OF railroads, alleging agninsi some
determinations in favor of the ,larl
Oil company, against other vio.. lus Of
the long and short haul provision and
against all unreasonable and unjust rates:
Fifty or sixty gentlemen are in attendance,
lawyers and witnesses, and the proceed
ings are likely to consume several days.
There are lSl petitions in all, hut
only ten are being tried at this
time. Messs. j. Randolph Tucker,
Roger B. Loomis and A. ID. Fol.
lett appear for complainant The railroads
are represented us follows: S. II. Noble
and Ed. Baxter, for the Louisville & Nash
vile; +. l.. Russell, for the Mobile & Ohio;
Holmes Cummins, for the Newport News
& Mississippi Valley and Louisville, New
Orleans x Texas; II. b. Money, for the
Mississippi x Tennessee and the Illinois
Central; Edward Folston and Charles VI.
Gist, for the Cincinnati, New Orleans 4
Texas Pacific; John :. Blair and Thomas
J. Ports, for the st. Louis, Iron
Mountain & Southern, and W. Baxter
for the East Tennessee, Virginia q
Georgia. The complaint against the
Louisville d Nashville was read In
full, and the points wherein il differed
from the Others was explained by Judge
Loomis verbally. The reply OF the Louis
vile q Nashville was also mad. A gen
cul denial is made OF unreasonable charges
and violations oi The long and short haul
provision, and the alleged discrimination
| Is explained upon the theory that the
/ standard Oil company furnishes its own
| tank ears, willie complainanls ship in
| harrcls, in the cOlupany's cars, thereby
| creating q substantial difference oi cirrum.
stances aud conditions. The cil-o having
/ thus been stated upon both sides, counsel
/ Tor complainanis dcgn reading dcposi.
tions.
In his deposition, Nirgl Powers, com.
missioner of the Southern railway and
/ steamship association. in substance tcsii
/ fled 10 the belief that the rate per lOl
/ pounds should bc the same whether tho
/ oils Is carried in tanks or barrels llis
| further testimony tended to show that
I tank ears recorded 80 ui u given capacity,
/ in reality Wcrc much larger liliy-one
| tank ears which had been weighed showed
an aggregate capacity oi 1900 pounds
mons Than the recorded capacity upon
| which charges were based.
H. H. Payne, Of Cleveland, o., assistant
/ manager OF the Union tank line, ws
/ sworn, and his examination consumed the
/ afternoon session. II was developed that
/ lac had been subppna'd 10 bring certain
books and papers, showing the capacities
/ Of all the clr Oi his company, but, acting
| under advice. be- had not brought them.
/ lie was prepared, however O. show by d
statement gotten up by Mr. Page, OF the
standard oil company, ol Kentucky, the
| capacities OF all the c.ir operating south Oi
/ the Ohio, which statement witness had
/ checked oil and found correct. Counsel ior
complainant Was indisposcd to submit "a
| this. but the matter was left in allowance
/ Tor the present Witness testified that the
/ Union tank line car were owned hy the
/ Standard oil company oi Ohio. lie could
not testify whether the Union tank line
WIS a corporation or not, or whether IL was
owned aud operated entirely by the Stand.
arl oil company, oi Ohio. Come railroads
| paid mileage on the tank ears and some
did not. lie was not prepared to state
/ definitely what lines did ~ did not. nor
/ what circumstance. influenced the matter.
/ The Union tank line owned about 5000
car. Tho other tank car companies of the
country owned over 100, including the
green line, whose cans number over 100.
THE FISHERIES COMMISSIONS.
Just before noon today Mr.. Cham.
hCrlain, Sir Charles Upper and Min.
/ isicr West called nt the department OI
state and were shown into the diplJ.
matte rccupiIOn.r0Um which has been sot
apart for the use OF the fishery c0mmis.
/ sion. They were soon Joined 10y Sccrc'
/ tary Bayarl and Mc2n. Putnam and
! Angel. An informal conference then
took place, which lasted less than an hour.
/ No attempt was made 10 enter upon n dis.
cus.ion oi the fisheries controversy, this
meeting being held only for the purpose 0I
arranging line Of procedure 10 De fol.
lowed IN iho regular meetings Of the ne.
/ g0tiniions. II was resolved that the iinl
of these meetings shall b. held tomorrow
at 2 O'Clock. sicnopaphon will not bC
employed, but an outline record Of the
proceedings will be- kept by the secretaries
/ aud at the end Of every session all OF tho
members Of the conference will then agree
upon and sign formal statement Of the
result oi the days work. Third Assistant
Secretary Moore and Mr. Bcrgnc have
been chosen as the dilicial secretaries Of
the conference. Tho frequency Of tho
sessions cannot NJ yet be- lOUtold, a. II
will depend cntiWly upon iho num-
| Der II obstacles that may arise
| in the course oi the negotiations
II is probable that tho ncgoiiai0fs viii moi
attempt 10 prescribe regular days iol
meeting, but will fix the days oi the ncxl
meeting at the conclusion OF each sctsi0n
Perhaps the most important conclusion
! reached today was u resolution, unani
mously adopted, 10 keep the proceeding
Of the nCgDiiatOfs secret, al least until tlC
! conclusion Il their work. The statement
b authorized by SECRETARY Biyard that any
article that may appear pnrp0rting 10 icl
what has been done al The meeting ~ th,
nryoiiaiolB viii bg entirely unputhorhcd
ami must bo The purcst speculation. ~
rrply 10 90 Inquiry as "a whether the rep
! rpnia'iyps Of the United States ha,
ayrc,d upon 70 line oi policy i1r their guld
nuer in ihc negotiations, Secretary baynn
! uid lhc public hal bDcn ully informed q
~ tho position Of ilo government 10 lli'